UG, PG, Diploma, Certificate Courses - Visual Merchandising
Degree Course Type
Bachelors, Masters, Diploma, Certificate
Entry Level Qualification
Class 10+2
Degree Course Duration
2 Year
Course Fields
Fashion design
Degree Course Entrance Exam
NIFT GAT
Average Course Fee
10000 - 200000
Average Salary Offered
300000 - 900000
Course Details
There are 4 types of Visual Merchandising Courses eg. Certificate, Diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Tabulated below are some of the important Visual Merchandising courses available in different colleges/universities:
1. Certificate in Fashion Merchandising by ISFT, Mumbai
2. Certificate in Visual Merchandising and Product Styling by NIFT, Delhi
3. Advanced Certificate in Apparel Merchandising by Xaviers’ Institute of Business Management and Studies
4. Diploma in Visual Merchandising by JD Institute of Fashion Technology
5. Foundation Diploma in Visual Merchandising by Academy of Applied Arts
6. Diploma in Apparel Production & Merchandising by NIFT Mumbai
7. BBA Apparel Merchandising by International Institute of Fashion Technology
8. B.Sc. Fashion Design and Merchandising by Polytechnic for Women
9. BBA Retail Marketing by Modern Group of Colleges
10. M.Des. Fashion Merchandising by Parul University
11. M.A. Fashion & Textile Merchandising by Amity University Noida
12. M.Sc. Fashion Designing and Merchandising by Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya
Visual Merchandising Online Courses
Different online Visual Merchandising courses are also there. These courses are very popular among individuals who are working and want to pursue the course in flexible hours. Some of the online courses are listed below:
Course Name | Online Platform |
Transforming the Fashion Business Specialization | Coursera |
Basics of Visual Merchandising and Store Design | Udemy |
Advanced Visual Merchandising and Store Design | Udemy |
Visual Merchandising and Display | Udemy |
Course Highlights
A few important details are tabulated here in the highlight section:
Particulars | Details |
Name | Visual Merchandising |
Duration | 3 months- 2 years |
Eligibility Criteria | Certificate Courses: 10+2 qualification Diploma Courses: 10+2 qualification Undergraduate courses: 10+2 qualification Post-Graduate Courses- Graduation |
Admission Type | Merit/Entrance Exam |
Average Course Fees | INR 10,000 – INR 200,000 |
Online Courses | Available |
Job Profiles | Visual Merchandiser, Store Manager, Brand Manager, etc. |
Average Salary | INR 300,000-INR 900,000 (Per annum) |
Recruiting Companies | Reliance Group, Aditya Birla Group, Lifestyle, Future Group, etc. |
About Course
Visual Merchandising is the art of presenting or displaying objects, products or services creatively to the client in order to make them visually desirable and appealing. It helps in enhancing and boosting sales. The objective of visual merchandising is to grab the attention of the client by depicting artistic and creative products. It uses art as it includes lighting, colours, lines, spacing and proportions appropriate to create a balanced and beautiful presentation. Visual merchandising is also a bit of science. It plays with the psychology of the client and uses logics/concepts to influence the mind of the client.
With the growth of malls, boutiques and retail outlets across the country, visual merchandising is becoming overly popular among students. It is a lucrative field with numerous career opportunities and a bright future.
Candidates wishing to pursue a career in visual merchandising can go for degree/ diploma/ postgraduation/ certificate programmes. Many top colleges and universities offer Visual Merchandising course to students. Each college has a different set of conditions that are called as minimum eligibility criteria. Candidates are required to satisfy the parameters of the college in order to get through the admission process. Check out the eligibility criteria, admission process, and syllabus and career prospectus of Visual Merchandising ahead.
Why Choose Course And Required Skills
Visual Merchandising courses come with an array of benefits for the learners. Some of the benefits are pointed out below:
1. Visual Merchandising course imparts the knowledge on how to improve the customer experiences. Customer experiences are one of the crucial parts of every business. The art of visual Merchandising aids the customers to gain a unique purchasing experience by attracting and informing them through designed displays.
2. Visual Merchandising highlights the items that are more profitable than the others. By highlighting these items, it helps to generate more sales. The course helps to learn all these things in a detailed manner.
3. The neuro-marketing Technique is a part of Visual Merchandising and this method is used to influence the buyers in their purchasing decisions. Store paint, music, and product placement are some of the strategies that are used in Visual Merchandising.
4. Marketing the products and obtaining their target value is an objective of Visual Merchandising. Through the course, the learners gain knowledge about it
5. Visual Merchandising helps to meet the target sales by utilizing different displaying techniques
6. The jobs in this field are quite creative. Therefore, professionals working in this field never find the job boring
7. Another benefit is that through visual merchandising a professional can get direct feedback for their designs
8. Numerous companies are now recruiting visual merchandisers and hence, the scopes are abundant here in this field
9. As the scopes are high here, students can get hired easily in comparison to the other professions
Required Skill
To pursue Visual Merchandising Courses, candidates should have some basic skills which would further be improved during the study of the course. Mentioned below are certain skills that must consider for this course:
Creativity | Communication Skills |
Industry Know-how | Technical knowledge |
Interpersonal Skills | Basic Design Concept |
Logical Thinking | Leadership Skills |
Brand Awareness | Customer Care |
Strong interest in Merchandise design | Teamwork and coordination Skills |
Visual Awareness | Imagination |
Eligibility
Presently, with the rise of people opting for a visual merchandising course, candidates are getting inclined towards it. Multiple colleges are offering Visual Merchandising courses to the aspirants. Each college has a different set of eligibility criteria. Enlisted below are the parameters set by the colleges/universities that candidates must follow before applying for admission.
1. For undertaking admission in a diploma or graduation courses, it is essential for the candidate to qualify intermediate or class 12 from a recognised board of education.
2. For postgraduate courses, it is required for the candidates to clear or pass graduation or an equivalent examination from a recognised university.
3. Candidates can be from any discipline in order to pursue a visual merchandising course.
Each college has a separate set of eligibility conditions. Applicants need to meet the conditions laid down by the chosen college in order to be applicable for the admission in the college.
Entrance Exams Details
Majority of the institutes/universities accept the national level entrance examination including FDDI AIST, NIFT Entrance Exam etc. Some colleges have their separate entrance examination in order enrol students to the Visual Merchandising course. Other colleges offer direct admission to the candidates for Visual Merchandising course.
Degree Course Syllabus
The syllabus of Visual Merchandising is designed differently in different colleges. Captured below are certain subjects that students might encounter while studying the course of visual merchandising.
Fundamentals of Visual Merchandising | Display Error Management |
Colour Phycology | Elements and Principles of design |
Trend Analysis and Forecasting | Exterior and Interior Presentation |
Importance of the shopping environment | Props, Fixtures and Signage |
Consumer Behaviour | Material Exploration |
Lighting Design | CAD |
Visual Principles and Systems | Vendor Management |
Draping & Styling Mannequins |
|
Top Colleges
Vivid top-notch colleges offer a visual merchandising course. Mentioned below are few of them that candidates can consider for admission.
1. NIFT, Delhi
2. NIFT, Mumbai
3. Pearl Academy, Rajouri Garden
4. JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore
5. NIFT, Gandhinagar
6. FIDA The Design School, Kilpauk
7. MSU - The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara
Course Fees
Visual Merchandising Average Course Fees Range are INR 10,000 to INR 200,000.
Top Recruiters And Salary
Top Recruiters
The professionals working in the industry of Visual Merchandising are mostly hired in retail stores and other large companies. Mentioned below are some of the top companies that recruit visual merchandisers:
1. First Cry
2. Marks and Spencer
3. Lifestyle
4. Aditya Birla Group
5. Pantaloons
6. Future Group
7. Lenskart
8. Shoppers’ Stop
9. Mahindra
10. Reliance Industries


Salary
Tabulated below are the Visual Merchandising jobs and their respective salaries:
Job Profiles | Annual Average Salary(Approx.) |
Visual Merchandiser | INR 3.4 Lakhs |
Brand Manager | INR 12.0 Lakhs |
Merchandising Consultant | INR 7.0 Lakhs |
Showroom Assistant | INR 2.0 Lakhs |
Store Manager | INR 3.0 Lakhs |
Course Scope And Career Options
In the field of visual merchandising, opportunities are large in number. Most importantly, in India, the scopes in this field are increasing with time. There are opportunities to begin a career as a Visual Merchandiser or Brand Manager. Job roles like Store Manager, Business Development Manager, and Showroom Assistant are also there. Candidates can join any of them as per their interests and salary expectations. The annual average salary for Visual Merchandising professionals ranges from INR 1.5 Lakhs to INR 15 Lakhs.
Candidates who wish to gain more knowledge in the field of Visual Merchandising can opt for Post Graduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree, and Doctorate courses. There are different fields like Advertising, Marketing, and Sales. Combined with Visual Merchandising, these fields can also create great career opportunities for learners. Some top brands like Amul, Future Group, Myntra, etc. will have great scopes for the Visual Merchandiser.
Career Options
With the growth in the Visual Merchandising industry, the requirements for suitable professionals are also rapidly increasing. Candidates have a wide range of options to pick out from and they have a humongous scope in visual merchandising. Enlisted below are possibilities that candidates can choose from in order to grow fiercely in the field.
1. Store Manager
2. Visual Merchandiser
3. Brand Manager
4. Merchandising Consultant
Admission Process
The admission process of Visual Merchandising varies from college to college or university to university. A candidate needs to surpass the admission and selection process of the college in order to get through. Check out the pointers below explaining in detail the admission process of Visual Merchandising.
1. Colleges generally enrol applicants for admission on the basis of the marks obtained in the common entrance examination.
2. Certain colleges grant admission to the candidates as per their separate entrance examination and processes like group discussion and personal interview.
Some colleges often shortlist students as per the merit. They lookout for the performance of the applicant in the qualifying examination and shortlist them for admission.